Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 5 › Conversation 005-115
Nixon phone call with Colson on Pentagon Papers and Lyndon B. Johnson
Thursday, June 17, 1971 · 6:55 PM–6:56 PM ET · White House Telephone · 44 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon instructed Charles Colson to deliver an ultimatum to former President Lyndon B. Johnson regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding the Pentagon Papers. Nixon informed Colson that he would only publicly defend Johnson during an upcoming press engagement in Rochester if Johnson concurrently committed to defending himself during his own scheduled press conference. Colson agreed to relay this demand immediately via Bryce Harlow to ensure Nixon received an answer by that evening.
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Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On June 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 6:55 pm to 6:56 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 005-115 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 5-115
Date: June 17, 1971
Time: 6:55 pm - 6:56 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 261-18]
Pentagon Papers
-Ultimatum to Lyndon B. Johnson
-President's possible defense of Johnson in Rochester, June 18th
-Johnson's defense of himself
-Bryce N. HarlowAlso recorded on June 17, 1971
- 261-016 6:17 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:17 pm to 6:46 pm.
- 005-113 6:38 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 6:38 pm to 6:45 pm.
- 005-114 6:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 6:55 pm.
- 261-017 6:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:46 pm and 6:55 pm.
- 258-031 6:55 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 9:29 pm.
- 261-018 6:55 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:55 pm to 6:56 pm.
- 005-116 6:56 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:56 pm and 7:39 pm.
- 261-019 6:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:56 pm and 7:39 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 005-115, June 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/005-115 (accessed October 5, 2026).